Journal
CIENCIA RURAL
Volume 43, Issue 8, Pages 1529-1534Publisher
UNIV FEDERAL SANTA MARIA
DOI: 10.1590/S0103-84782013000800030
Keywords
labor shortage; agricultural labor; multinomial logit; farmers' strategies; Chilean agriculture
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Funding
- FONDECYT [11100228]
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This study analyzes the strategies that farmers in the south of Chile use to face current labor shortages and identify the variables that determine each of these strategies. A multinomial logit model and odds ratios plots with predicted probabilities were applied to a sample of 384 farmers. Interviews and focus groups were applied to specific producers, professionals and public officials. The main results show that only 32.3% of farmers declared that labor shortage is a problem. Of this percentage 52% chose the strategy of paying better, 13.8% chose improve the workers' working conditions, 9.5% chose to mechanize, and 24.1% did not follow a strategy. The production of labor-intensive products (e.g., exportable fruit) determines the strategy of paying better; the farmer's educational level influences the strategy of improving the working conditions, and the farmer's age affects the strategy of mechanizing. However, the production of labor-intensive products exhibits the greater effect. The main disadvantage of the pay better strategy is that workers do not want to commit to their job.
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